You are here

The Basic Spelling Vocabulary List

This list was created to help teachers know which spelling words should be taught to kids in grades 1–5. The list contains 850 words that account for 80 percent of the words children use in their writing — the ones they need to be able to spell correctly.

This list was devised to help educators know which spelling words should be taught to children. The list contains 850 words that account for 80 percent of the words children use in their writing — the ones they need to be able to spell correctly.

Mastering this relatively small corpus of words yields a high rate of return. For example, the most common 1,000 words are used 13 times more frequently than the next most common 1,000 words. It also provides teachers flexibility in planning spelling instruction, providing an opportunity to give children the "basics" while supplementing with other spelling words germane to classroom activities.

Grade level for each word was determined based upon difficulty, pattern of occurrence in children's writing across grades, and grade placement on current vocabulary lists and spelling materials. Words that children have difficulty spelling correctly are marked with an asterisk.

Grade 1

a
all
am*
and*
at
ball
be
bed
big
book
box
boy*
but
came*
can*
car
cat
come*
cow
dad
day*
did
do
dog*

Reprints

You are welcome to print copies for non-commercial use, or a limited number for educational purposes, as long as credit is given to Reading Rockets and the author(s). For commercial use, please contact the author or publisher listed.

Related Topics

Comments

A good list. When I saw people mispelling "till" as 'til or til - including the cover of Time magazine which once read " 'Til Death Do Us Part " - it occurred to me that my spelling books in grade school never included "till". It's a fairly important word. Why isn't it included in elementary spelling lists?

when you get these words go to spellingcity.com they have fantastic drill games and quizzes .You enter your own words and play fantastic entertaining reinforcement drills. My 11 year old loves them ,he learned all these words in 3 days. Now if you have multiplication trouble ,take a few tables and get a start on them ,then go to multiplication.com more fantastic high speed games . Tables learned in days. Miracles for distracted kids

Now take these words and enter them into the online spelling test games @ spellingcity.com it uses your lists 50 words at a time to make fantastic games and quizes that my short attention span boy of 11 loves . Now after you have drilled on a few multiplication tables until they are somewhat confident go to multiplication.com and play action games that are excellent for fast recall games ,what a breakthrough for tough learners